Steelers Predicted to Steal Star From Ravens

When the topic of the Pittsburgh Steelers' biggest offseason needs comes up, one position that's often overlooked is the offensive line.

The group battled through a bevy of injuries throughout the 2024 campaign, forcing rookies Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick into starting roles at center and right guard, respectively.

Both performed admirably, with Frazier in particular standing out, but the same can't necessarily be said for Broderick Jones.

The 2023 first-round pick was effectively benched during Week 2 in favor of rookie Troy Fautanu at right tackle, only for him to sustain a knee injury days later in practice and miss the remainder of the campaign.

Jones subsequently saw the field for all 17 games and started 16 of them, during which he ceded 11 sacks on 45 pressures while committing 10 penalties, per Pro Football Focus.

With starting left tackle Dan Moore Jr. set to reach free agency, however, the Steelers could shift Jones to the opposite side of the line, where he's more comfortable, while Fautanu would slot back in at right.

If that plan goes haywire for any number of reasons though, Pittsburgh doesn't have any suitable contingencies in place for the time being.

One way for the team to mitigate that risk is by signing an established free agent such as Ronnie Stanley of the Baltimore Ravens, as proposed by FanSided's Nick Villano.

“There is a severe need for a decent left tackle in the Steel City, with the Dan Moore Jr. experiment hopefully ending for good,” Villano wrote. “Put Stanley there to protect Justin Fields, and you have a guy who is used to blocking for a shifty quarterback.”

A two-time Pro Bowler and former first-team All-Pro, Stanley appeared in every regular season game for the first time in his nine-year career this past season. According to PFF, the left tackle allowed 40 pressures and just two sacks while protecting Lamar Jackson.

Stanley should fetch a sizable deal as one of the top linemen available this spring, and while it's tough to see a world in which the Steelers pursue him, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

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